Beware of the Shadows
by TheSoulStealer
Summary: After a failed attempt at destroying the Shadow Witch, Dr. Franken Stein's life was never the same way again. Now his daughter, Scarlet, is a powerful Death Scythe who just came out of hiding to try to suppress the Kishin. When she is forced to choose between her best friend and the city she loves, everything in thrown out of whack, and Scarlet has no idea what to fight for anymore
1. Chapter 1

**_This is a story I had been writing for awhile but stopped. It was originally about me and my friends but one of the people in this story isn't exactly my friend anymore. It sort-of-kind-of-not-really has the same plot as my other Soul Eater story. I just found it again and figured I would share it with you guys because I had so much fun writing it and I want to know if you want me to write more. I currently have over thirty pages written, so I will be posting it in parts. Leave a review if you want more!_**

13 years ago...

Dr. Franken Stein~

'Run!' Spirit screamed inside my head.

"I know you dumbass!" I screamed back. My lab coat fluttered behind me as I ran away from the shadows behind me. You can't fight shadows. That is the Shadow Witch's greatest strength, and our greatest weakness. I heard a small laugh.

'Run while you can, Stein.'

"Get out of my head!" I screeched.

Another mission, failed. The darkness is growing stronger every day.

The laugh started up again.

'Don't let the madness take over, Stein,' Spirit said. I shook my head.

"Will one of you please shut up! I have too many voices in my head right now!"

'Stein, you're letting the madness take you,' Spirit warned.

"Shut up!"

Suddenly, more shadows appeared in front of us. I skidded to a halt and ran down a different path.

"Over here!" I turned towards the voice that spoke and followed the woman down a long hallway. The shadows ran the other way.

"Thanks," Spirit said, turning into his human form. He flashed a smile at the woman. I whacked him on the head.

"We're not here to flirt."

The woman just ignored us. "I know a way out of here," she said, and she started walking down the hallway again. Spirit and I shrugged at each other, but followed her anyways.

An angonizing pain in my chest stopped me. I looked down at my chest to see a blood-covered, arrow-like snake poking out of it. I fell to the ground, and heard a small laugh. Then, a light appeared in front of my eyes. It steadily grew larger and floated out of my vision. The pain was unbearable.

"Thank you, Stein," I heard the woman sneer, "for helping me with my little experiment. You have now given me the most powerful witch in the universe, and the DWMA's downfall, maybe even Death's downfall," her voice changed from menacing to sickly-sweet, "and poor you. You won't be around to see it." She laughed and walked off. In her arms, I saw that she was now carrying a small bundle.

'What is it?' I thought. Then I saw a small arm poking out of the blanket.

'It's a baby,' was the last thing I thought before blacking out.

'She's carrying a baby.'

* * *

I looked in disgust at the small bundle Spirit held in his hands.

"What are you talking about? I can't take care of a baby!"

Spirit shoved the small child into my hands. "She's yours," he said, "you have to decide what to do with her."

It was a few days after we had failed our mission to destroy the Shadow Witch and I had finally recovered from being shish-kababed by a snake. (Don't ask me how Spirit managed to escape from the Shadow Witch, get the baby from that other witch, and get me out of there WITHOUT DYING, because I really don't know.)

I shoved the baby back into Spirit's hands. "Why don't you take care of her?"

Spirit shook his head. "I have to take care of Maka," he said, "and, like I said, she's yours." He gently placed the baby in my hands.

"I don't think I would be able to take care of a witch."

"She's not a witch, she's a weapon. Can't you feel it?"

"Yeah, but..." Spirit held up his hand to silence me.

"She's your daughter." He started to walk away, "you decide what to do with her."

"You know I'll probably just end up dissecting her!" I called in a last desperate attempt to not have to take care of her.

Spirit turned back towards me. "No you won't," he said, "I know you won't because, no matter how twisted and sadistic you are, you would never kill a child." He walked off, leaving me alone with the small bundle in my hands.

I looked down at the child and let a small smile cross my lips.

I mentally slapped myself.

'What are you doing, Stein? This is nothing but an experiment.'

Yes, an experiment, to see if I could raise a child without dissecting them first.

Little did I know what was in store for me, and Death City.

Present day...

Scarlet~

I shook my head, watching the young meisters and weapons fail at fighting Dr. Stein from my position on top of his roof. Sophie and I hang out there often as it is very relaxing. The meister and weapon teams were using the wrong technique and weren't even phasing Stein.

"They need to use their skills better," I sighed.

"Not everything comes as easily to them as it comes to us," Sophie replied.

"I know." I watched Soul turn into his human form and shield Maka's body with his own.

"Back away! I won't let you touch my meister!" He growled.

"You pass," Stein said, that almost-completely-sane smile on his face.

"What?!" Soul looked like he was about to explode.

"Any weapon who will protect his meister with his own body gets a passing grade from me."

"You mean, this was just a test?" Maka started to regain her strength as she spoke. She sat up, "then why did you kill Black*Star?"

As if on cue, Black*Star started coughing up blood. Tsubaki tried to convince him to lay down again as he sat up.

"What about Sid?"

Sid the zombie smiled, still tied up in chains. "When I was alive," he said, "I was never a man to tell a lie, but now things have changed."

Dr. Stein nodded and looked up at where Sophie and I were and said, "I know you're up there. Come down here and show these students how a real Meister and weapon fight."

Sophie and I nodded at each other, jumped down from Stein's roof, and landed on our feet.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Dr. Stein said, unenthusiastically lighting a cigarette and putting it in his mouth, "I give you the most powerful meister and weapon team in the world, and the ninth Death Scythe."

Death the Kid~

"Is that?" My eyes grew larger as I saw the meister and weapon pair land safely on the ground.

"It is," my father confirmed my thought.

"What are they doing out of hiding?"

"They probably need Dr. Stein to help them with their...problem," Death said in his squeaky voice that annoyed the crap out of me almost as much as the stripes in my hair did.

"But they must know that this is dangerous for them," I protested.

"Of course they do, but there is really no reason for them to stay in hiding any longer. They will be of better use out in the open."

I watched Scarlet and Sophie grip each other's hands. I then watched Scarlet turn into a scythe and Sophie and Stein size each other up. Stein started out with his soul-force, but Sophie leaped up into the air about twenty feet, dodging his blow and leaving him weaker that he was before.

"Well that explains how they got on top of Dr. Stein's roof," I mumbled, pretty upset about Scarlet choosing to turn into an asymmetrical weapon.

"See how they have matched soul wavelengths perfectly?" We heard Stein shout as he frantically tried to deflect Sophie's and Scarlet's blows. Then Sophie threw Scarlet up into the air and she turned back into her human form. Scarlet landed next to Sophie and they both stuck their right hands out towards Dr. Stein, throwing him backwards into his swivel chair with their perfectly-matched soul wavelengths.

"You need them right now, don't you?" I asked my father.

Death turned away from his mirror and looked at me. "Yes," he admitted, "for the kishin is growing stronger."

I just nodded, a little afraid of what would happen if the kishin grew strong enough to break out of Death City.

Scarlet~

"That was pretty cool," Black*Star admitted as Dr. Stein struggled to get out of his swivel chair. Black*Star was finally strong enough to stand up without support.

"Wait!" Soul said, "Aren't there only eight death scythes?"

"As far as you should know," I replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Sophie and I are the most powerful meister and weapon team in the world," I started, "When we were only nine, I became the youngest Death Scythe. Lord Death knew that our power was great, but dangerous. He sent us into hiding so that no one could use our powers for their own, evil purposes."

"But I thought that Justin was the youngest Death Scythe," Maka said, her face twisted with confusion.

"As far as you should know, he is."

"So, if we aren't supposed to know about you, why are you here?" Tsubaki asked, timidly.

"Well..." I started. I turned to Sophie, who just shook her head. Her face was pale. "Sophie?" I asked, putting my hand on her shoulder. She didn't reply. "Sophie? Are you okay?" I gripped Sophie's other shoulder and shook her. Sophie's eyes rolled to the back of her head. She fell to her knees and let out a creepy, high-pitched laugh.

"What's going on?" Tsubaki asked, her voice quavering.

"The black blood is taking over," Dr. Stein said, finally able to get out of his swivel chair, "that's why you came to me, isn't it?"

"Yes," I sighed, "but you won't help us, will you?" I knelt down next to Sophie and placed my hand on her shoulder, transferring my soul's strength into hers. Sophie's eyes snapped back into place and she stood up, leaning on my shoulder for support.

"You're right, I won't help you. It's too dangerous," Dr. Stein lit another cigarette.

"Come on! Sophie is going to go insane if you don't help us! And what do you think is going to happen if Sophie goes insane?"

"But to do the surgery, I would need to drain Sophie of her blood, cleanse it, and then put it back into her body. There is a fifty percent chance that she would die."

"I don't care," Sophie spoke up for the first time since the black blood took over, "Scarlet's energy is draining because she has to keep reviving me from the black blood, and besides, you may be fine with going insane, but I'm not."

"What do I get out of it?" Dr. Stein smirked. I turned my arm into a club and bashed his head with it. He fell back into his swivel chair and struggled, for the second time, to get out of it.

"You CANNOT dissect Sophie! And I am going to stay with you for...how long?"

"Six hours." Dr. Stein got out of his swivel chair and placed his hand on his head where I hit him.

"Six hours to make sure you don't-and to transfer my strength to Sophie."

"But I never said that I would do it," Dr. Stein smirked again. I raised my clubbed hand. "Alright, fine," he sighed, "bring her into my laboratory."

Sophie and I staggered into Dr. Stein's house and he called, "the rest of you can go back to the DWMA. There is nothing left to see here." Dr. Stein rushed into the house. "Molly!" He called. After a few seconds, Molly appeared in her lab coat with a scalpel in her hand, "meet me in my laboratory with the supplies needed for surgery." Molly nodded and rushed to grab the supplies.

Dr. Stein lead us into his lab. "Lay down here," He said. I helped Sophie lay on the metal table he pointed to. Molly came in with the supplies and started giving her pain numbing meds and whatnot. Soon, Sophie was out cold. I closed my eyes held her hand the whole time, constantly concentrating on transferring my strength into her soul. After six hours of that, I was so worn out that I could barely open my eyes to see if Sophie lived or not.

"She's okay," Molly said, placing her hand on my shoulder. Despite being Dr. Steins apprentice for four years, she still knows how to feel and express emotion, which Dr. Stein obviously does not. "She just barely made it, but she's okay now. She just needs a little while to rest, though you'd better bring her to the DWMA. I don't think this is the safest place for her to be right now." I smiled up at her weakly and stood up.

"Can you help me take her there?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm sure Dr. Stein wouldn't mind."

Once Molly, Sophie and I arrived at the DWMA, Molly handed Sophie's sleeping body off to me.

"Thanks," I panted, out of breath.

"No problem," Molly said, "oh, and I almost forgot, Sophie still has some of the black blood in her, so you might want to keep an eye on her sanity." I nodded and started to carry Sophie up to the nurse.

**_Like I said, I stopped writing this story awhile ago, but there is more, and I will post the rest of it over a period of time if you like the story. If you want me to write more, leave a review. Thanks!_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Here's the next part to my pre-written story! I'll hopefully be posting the rest of it within the next couple of days or so. Thank you yuuki24688 for your kind review! I'll keep that in mind! :)**_

Scarlet~

It took a few days, but Sophie ended up recovering from having all of her blood drained out of her. Currently, I was going to visit her.

"Is Sophie okay?" I asked once I got there.

"She's fine. She can actually go to her classes today, if she would like," Nurse Medusa said, smiling at me. I nodded and walked over to where Sophie was laying. She smiled up weakly at me.

"Are you coming to classes?" I asked.

"Of course! I heard Dr. Stein is teaching now. That should be interesting..."

"Not really," I gave a snort, "all he's having us do are dissecting labs."

"Typical." Sophie looked away for a second, then looked back again. This time, her eyes were glazed over and she whispered, "my blood is black."

My eyes widened and a horrified expression crossed over my face. Midara just grinned up at me, then shook her head. When she looked up at me again, her eyes were normal.

"Sorry, I must've blacked out for a second," she shook her head again, then said, "Scarlet, is there something wrong."

"N-n-no," I stuttered, "there's nothing wrong. We-we just...have to get to our classes right now, otherwise we're going to be late. Yeah, that's it." I grabbed Sophie's hand, pulled her out of bed, and rushed out the door.

"Say hi to Professor Stein for me!" Nurse Medusa called after us.

I didn't stop to answer. I just kept running to our first class with Dr. Stein.

"Scarlet, slow down!" Sophie was panting just behind me, her feet half stumbling, half dragging.

"Sorry." I stopped and let go of Sophie's hand. Instantly, she grabbed my wrist and spun me around so that I was looking her in the eye.

"Scarlet, what happened?" Sophie asked, squeezing my wrist.

I looked away, "nothing."

"Scarlet," Sophie said between gritted teeth, "I know that something's wrong."

I looked into her eyes. "Why would you think something's wrong?"

"You've always been a bad actress under pressure," Sophie smiled, "and the fact that we have twenty minutes before class starts is also a dead giveaway."

"Nothing is wrong."

"Don't lie to me."

I sighed, "alright, something was wrong, but it's over now. I just didn't want to bother you about it." It wasn't a lie. In fact, it was almost the whole truth.

Sophie let go of my wrist. "You don't know if it's over yet, do you?"

"No," I sighed.

"Okay. You're not ready to tell me. That's okay. Let's just get to class." Sophie started hurrying away from me.

"Wait! Class doesn't start yet!" I called after her. Sophie stopped, turned around, and smiled.

"Molly's gonna be there, right? Let's go say hi to her!"

I ran to catch up to Sophie and we walked to the classroom together, perfectly in sync.

"Oh good," Dr. Stein sighed as we walked into the classroom, "Molly! Your friends are here!"

Molly appeared in the doorway and walked over to us.

"What are you guys doing here so early?" She asked.

"Well, Sophie was feeling better, so we decided to come and say hello to you before class starts."

"Ummmm, Molly," Sophie smiled sheepishly, "I think Dr. Stein switched your thumbs."

"He did?" Molly held her thumbs up to her face and, sure enough, there was a ring of small, perfect stitching around the base of each thumb. "Cool!"

"Is living in Dr. Stein's house really...um...safe for you Molly?" I asked.

"Are you kidding? Dr. Stein may be a little weird at times, but he's not dangerous!" She said, "unless, of course, he goes mentally insane. Then we might have a small problem." Despite saying this darkly, the gleam in Molly's eyes revealed just how much she idoled the mad scientist.

Sophie and I shook our heads. "Alright, well, if you ever need someone to beat him up for you, you know who to call," Sophie said.

"Thanks, but I don't think I'll need to." Molly smiled at us.

"We'd better get into our seats," I warned. Lots of students were showing up now. I lowered my voice to a whisper, "remember, we are students here. No one can know about...well, you know." Molly and Sophie nodded and Sophie and I went to take our seats. By now, most of the seats were already filled, so we sat between Soul and Tsubaki. There were only a few seconds before class started when Death the Kid, Patty, and Liz rushed to their seats.

"What are you guys doing here?" They asked us.

"What are you talking about?" I asked innocently, "we've always been students here."

"But, aren't you already a..."

"Shut up or I will come over to your house and move every painting seven centimeters to the left!" Sophie hissed.

Death the Kid gasped, "Don't say seven! Say eight!"

Suddenly, a knife flew over Sophie's head.

"Shut up, or I won't miss next time," Dr. Stein said calmly.

"Professor," Spirit appeared at the doorway, walked over to Stein, and whispered in his ear. He then flashed a smile up at Maka, who insisted on hiding behind Soul.

"Maka, Soul, Black*Star, Tsubaki, Kid, Patty, Liz, Molly, Scarlet and Sophie," Dr. Stein said after Spirit had left the room, "we are needed in the Death Room. The rest of you," he twisted the bolt in his head twice, "learn something while I'm gone."

Maka, Soul, Black*Star, Tsubaki, Death the Kid, Patty, Liz, Sophie and I got up from our seats and walked to the door. Molly rushed over from the animal she was preparing for dissection and walked beside Sophie and I.

"What do you think Lord Death wants?" She asked.

"I don't know," I replied honestly, "but whatever it is, it must be urgent."

Sophie just nodded. When I looked over at her, I realized she had that same blank look in her eye. She smiled creepily at me.

"My blood is black."

Maka~

"Why does Lord Death need us?" I asked my weapon partner, Soul.

"Dunno," he replied.

"I hope it's not another remedial lesson," I groaned. I was still having nightmares from the last one, considering Dr. Stein tried to dissect me.

"Are you kidding? With his most powerful Death Scythe? Not a chance."

"Yeah. I guess." Then why are we needed in the Death Room? I hate being confused.

"My blood is black," I heard someone say behind me. Soul and I stopped. Every meister and weapon knows that black blood is very serious and nothing to joke about. I turned around to give the person who said that a piece of my mind, when I realized that it was the Death Scythe's meister, Sophia or Sophie or whoever, and she was not joking. The Death Scythe (whatever her name is) had a look of horror on her face while the other girl, Molly I think her name is, was grabbing Sophie's arm, trying to restrain her from beating up her partner.

"You said it wouldn't happen any more!" The Death Scythe screamed at Dr. Stein.

"It's not supposed to be happening!" Dr. Stein screamed back. The Death Scythe's fingers turned into chains that extended from her hands and wrapped around Sophie.

"Is that even possible?" I asked, awestruck.

"Nope," Molly said sarcastically, "it's just an optical illusion."

The Death Scythe was silent. By the level of concentration I could see in her eyes, I guessed that she was trying to communicate with her meister.

"No! No! No!" Sophie screamed and thrashed around wildly, then she was silent, her head hung limply and her eyes were closed. Then she snapped her head back up and her eyes open and said, "okay. I'm back. You can let me go now, Scarlet."

Scarlet. That's her name.

Scarlet cautiously retracted the chains back into her hands and turned them back into her fingers.

"I thought you were a scythe," Kid said in an accusing tone.

"I am," Scarlet said, "and any other weapon you can think of."

"Cool," Soul said, nonchalantly. We continued walking in silence and I started to read the three girls' souls.

Sophie has a friendly, stubborn, creative, and playful soul, while Molly has one not unlike that of her meister and mentor, Stein, though considerably smaller. Scarlet's soul was harder to read and seemed to have a weak soul protect on it. Her soul was serious, sarcastic, stubborn, creative, and...

Wait a minute.

'Maybe I read it wrong,' I thought, but I knew that my sixth sense never failed me.

Scarlet has a witch soul.

Scarlet~

'Are you okay?' I mentally asked Sophie, who was bound in chains coming from my hands.

It took a second before Sophie answered, 'yes. It kind of snuck up on me, but I think I can take control again.'

A minute later, Sophie said, "okay. I'm back. You can let go of me now, Scarlet." I let the chains turn back into my fingers. Then I explained to everyone else that I could turn into any weapon.

From the stirring sensation I could feel in my body, I knew that someone was looking at my soul. I knew who it was too. The last time I read her soul, she was the most sensitive of the meisters who were here, so it was no surprise that Maka was the one to break through my soul protect. Judging by the horrified look on her face, I'm pretty sure she knew that I have a witch soul.

Maka~

'If Scarlet's a witch, then how can she turn into a weapon? How is she a Death Scythe?'

That same thought kept replaying in my mind. Maybe what Molly said was true. Maybe it was just an illusion. I jumped when someone tapped my shoulder.

"You know?" Scarlet's voice whispered into my ear.

"Yes," I breathed.

I heard Scarlet take a deep breath. "My parents died just after I was born," she whispered, "one of them may have been a witch. I don't know. Just know that being part witch doesn't change who I am. I am loyal to Death City and the DWMA." I turned towards her and she smiled, "and I'm a pretty badass weapon too."

I smiled back, knowing now that I could trust her. Soul says that I can be too trusting at times, but I read her soul. She seemed trustworthy and I'll take it.

She is a Death Scythe, after all.

Sophie~

"Good! Everybody's here!" Lord Death exclaimed in his overly-optimistic voice, "Would you two mind explaining what is going on?" He gestured to Scarlet and I.

We all made it to the Death Room without me going completely insane, though I'm not really surprised. I can still feel the black blood, but it's easier to control now. Like, if I wanted to go completely insane, then snap out of it right away, I could.

Scarlet and I stepped forward and turned to face everybody. "Sophie and I are here because of something that is happening that we need to keep an eye on," Scarlet started. "Nobody can know who, and what, we are."

"As far as you know, we're just students here," I said, and Scarlet nodded.

"Very good! You can all go back to class now!"

And that's how it was for a while. We all became good friends-Maka, Soul, Tsubaki, Black*Star, Kid, Patty, Liz, Molly, Scarlet and I. We fought together. Won some, lost some.

And then the party happened.


	3. Chapter 3

Scarlet~

I don't remember much about the party. At the beginning, Kid tried to make a speech and Black*Star interrupted him, doing something stupid.

Typical.

I remember that Stein was dancing with Nurse Medusa-they almost kissed at one point.

Right in the middle of the party, Sid came in and started saying something about witches attacking death city and the kishin being revived. Then he stuck his knife into the ground and Maka, Soul, Black*Star, Tsubaki, Kid, Patty, Liz, Dr. Stein, Molly, Sophie and I fell into the catacombs of the DWMA.

Sophie~

"What's going on?" Black*Star asked, "Sid was totally ruining my awesomeness."

Kid quickly briefed us about the kishin.

"So that's what you were coming here to keep an eye on!" Maka exclaimed. I nodded.

"Yes," Dr. Stein nodded, "even our own Nurse Medusa has turned out to be a witch."

"She's up ahead," Scarlet said, staring down the hallway.

"How do you know?" Tsubaki asked, interested.

"I can sense her soul."

"But weapons can't sense souls!" Black*Star exclaimed. He seemed pretty mad that Scarlet "kept out starring him," the way he put it.

Scarlet smiled. "But I can."

"You shouldn't be surprised," Maka sighed, rolling her eyes at Black*Star.

"Whatever," Soul said, "let's just do this." He turned into a scythe. Patty and Liz turned into guns, while Molly turned into a kusarigama.

"Tsubaki! Enchanted Sword!" Tsubaki followed her meisters orders and turned herself into the Enchanted Sword.

Everybody looked expectantly at Scarlet.

"I prefer to stay in my human form until I know what weapon I need to become," she explained, and we set off.

It wasn't long until we reached Medusa, her black, arrow-shaped snakes surrounding her.

Dr. Stein quickly relayed to us the plan. Scarlet and my job was to try to find a way to get Lord Death out of the tower, and help anyone who needed it. Then we lined up in front of Medusa, who just laughed.

"Discussing your plan in front of your enemies, Professor Stein?" Medusa mocked, then she laughed again.

I used the laugh to fuel my strength, and my madness, if I needed it.

I was ready for battle.

Scarlet~

"Run as soon as I say so," Dr. Stein whispered in my ear. I nodded and tensed my body, ready to run through Medusa's snakes. I looked over to my right and made eye contact with Sophie. We nodded and turned back towards Medusa.

"Oh, Professor," Medusa mocked, "you wouldn't really send our daughter into something so dangerous, would you?"

I didn't even move as I said, "my parents are dead."

Medusa just laughed, "My dear child, it appears as if you have been lied to. I am your mother while Professor Stein is your father."

I relaxed my body. "Is this true?" I asked without turning around.

"Well...I..." Dr. Stein stuttered.

"Yes or no!"

Stein paused for a moment that seemed like a year, then said, "yes."

Most people would be mad, or maybe awestruck, but I still had a battle to win. Feelings couldn't get in the way.

One of Medusa's snakes started wrapping itself around me, but I didn't pay attention as a plan started forming in my mind.

"Look at you," I jeered, "you think you've already won the battle, but it's going to take much more that a hidden secret to stop me."

Medusa laughed. "You're right," she sneered. The snake started tightening its grip. "So I'm going to have to kill you, as slowly and as painfully as possible."

"Scarlet, no!" Sophie screamed. She started running at me, but Medusa lashed at her with one of her snakes. Sophie fell to the ground, her right cheek bleeding.

"Leave them out of this!" I screeched as Dr. Stein rushed to help Sophie to her feet. Medusa just started laughing that cold laugh that made my blood turn to ice. The snake's sharp, arrow-shaped heads were all trained on me now. The snake that was wrapped around me squeezed tighter. It was becoming a struggle to breathe. I tried to connect to Sophie's soul wavelengths, but they were all over the place and I could tell that she was on the verge of madness.

I then tried to match soul wavelengths with Stein, who was surprisingly calm, despite the situation. I guess he knew how to control his madness more than Sophie did.

Using my powerful soul wavelengths, I sent a thought to him. 'As soon as I nod, tell the others to run.'

I wasn't sure if he had heard, but I had to trust that he did. I was my only hope. The snake tightened around me and my vision became edged with black.

"You're worthless," Medusa whispered. I only smiled, and nodded.

"Run!" Dr. Stein yelled, and I felt my body hit the ground. I started gasping, coughing, choking, anything to get air into my aching lungs. I looked up to see Dr. Stein holding Molly, in her weapon form, above his head and breathing heavily. Medusa's snake was wriggling away from his feet, back towards Medusa, who was frantically trying to kill the others off.

"You...saved...me…?" I managed to gasp. Stein just gave me that deranged smile of his.

"Scarlet!" Sophie ran over to me and, half carried, half dragged me out of the room, away from Medusa and Stein.

"Sophie!" I finally yelled, "I'm fine now. You can let me go."

Sophie stopped and pulled her arms off of me. "Are you okay?" She asked me.

"Physically or mentally?"

"Both."

"Yeah." My lungs still screamed for air, and I think Medusa broke a few of my ribs, but I could fight.

That's all that mattered.

Sophie looked at me sceptically. "I don't believe you," she said.

"About what? My physical health or my mental health?" I asked.

"Both," she replied, "but mostly your mental health."

"You shouldn't be talking." I put my finger on the uninjured spot next to Sophie's wound. The wound was bleeding red with a few drops of black scattered in. Seeing the black blood instantly brought back suppressed memories of how it got there in the first place.

Sophie flinched, but quickly regained her composure.

"It's nothing," Sophie sighed. "You grew up on the streets, thinking that your parents had died, and now you find out that you have two living parents-one wants to murder you viciously and the other is incapable of feeling love."

"So what?" I said and Sophie looked at me weirdly. "Dr. Stein can't feel love, so what? I'm just happy to have a living parent that doesn't want to kill me and, as for Medusa? Well, Medusa can go screw herself for all I care. Nothing has changed, really." I shrugged.

"Well, I guess it makes sense." Now it was my turn to look at Sophie weirdly. "Come on! You must be able to figure this one out!" When my expression didn't change, she gave a huge sigh and said "you're a weapon that can sense souls. You can change into any weapon possible. You have a witch soul. You became a freakin Death Scythe at age nine! And now we find out that you're the daughter of a powerful witch and probably the most powerful meister in the world? It all adds up."

I shrugged. "I guess I've never thought about it that way before."

"And now I guess you have some witchy powers that we don't know about," Sophie joked.

"Yeah, I-wait a minute!" Light bulb. "Sophie, you're a genius!" I started running down the hallway.

"Wait-what? I am? What are you talking about?" Sophie struggled to catch up.

I stopped and turned around. "I think I know how to let the others out of the tower."

Sophie~

"How?!" I shouted after Scarlet. I shook my head and ran to catch up.

"I'm a witch, right?" She panted after I caught up with her, "so I should be able to reverse the spell."

"But, you've never used any of your powers! We don't even know if you have any!"

"You've seen my soul. You know I'm a witch."

I sighed because I knew that she was right, but I still didn't like to think of my best friend as a witch.

Maka, Soul, and Crona appeared up ahead. We were now running at supersonic speed because of the Soul Renaissance .

"Is that the guy who injected you with black blood?" Scarlet asked. I nodded.

"Yeah," I said.

"And I guess he's my brother, right?" She said with disgust.

"I guess."

As soon as we reached them, Scarlet ran up to Crona, skidded to a halt, and punched him in the face. She then nodded to Soul and Maka, then started running again, leaving Maka with a confused expression on her face.

"Was that really necessary? I asked.

"Yep," Scarlet replied. We ran on in silence.

I stopped suddenly.

"What is it?" Scarlet asked. She stopped as well.

"The madness, I-I think it's taking over." I shook my head, trying to clear it of the madness welling up inside of it.

"I can feel it too," Scarlet said, "the kishin is getting closer."

"And stronger," I agreed. I shook my head again, and again, and again. It made me feel good. An insane smile spread across my face.

"No!" I screamed, "I am not going insane!" I stopped shaking my head and gained control of my emotions. I looked up and saw Scarlet with a horrified expression on her face. "I went insane that day, didn't I? That's why you looked so scared."

"Yes," Scarlet said, confirming what I originally thought.

"Scarlet…" I couldn't ask the question. It was too horrible.

"Yes?" Scarlet asked.

"Why did you bring me here?" I finally blurted out.

Scarlet was silent, a sorrowful expression on her face.

"You want me to go insane, don't you?"

It was a moment before Scarlet sighed, "Yes." She stared at the ground.

"Why?" I asked, my voice cracking with the pain of being betrayed by my best friend, "why do you want me to go insane?"

"Because, we both know that you are more powerful when you are insane. It will make my spell more powerful." She looked up from the ground and looked at me. By the look in her eyes, I could tell that the kishin was getting to her too, but some small voice in the back of my mind told me she made this plan while she was sane. The madness wasn't to blame.

I desperately hoped that voice was wrong

"And what if I refuse to go insane? What if I run away, right now?" I challenged, hoping that Scarlet wouldn't take it too far, even though I knew she would. Even if she wasn't planning on holding me here, the madness clouded her sense of emotion, of feeling. The Scarlet I knew was dead.

"Then, for the good of Death City, I will make you stay here." There was no sign of my best friend in the way she spoke to me, as if I was her prisoner. She turned her arm into the blade of a scythe, ready to fight me if I tried to run away.

I could feel the madness taking over my brain. "Scarlet, please! Don't do this!" I pleaded.

"It's too late, Sophie!"

"Please, no!" I sobbed. I ran at her and she batted me away with the blunt end of her blade. I sat on the ground, sobbing, holding my face where she hit me. Right on my injured cheek, even though my mind was too clouded with madness to understand the signals coming from my nerves. "I thought you were my friend."

"I am your friend, Sophie, but we need to help the others. You have to understand that I'm doing this for the best."

"Isn't there another way?" I looked up at Scarlet, who was looking at me, her face full of sorrow. She turned away.

"No."

"You really are a witch," I sobbed, and the madness took me.

Scarlet~

'You really are a witch.'

That thought replayed in my mind. At first I thought that being a witch was pretty cool, but Sophie wasn't talking about the witch I was thinking about. She was talking about a witch like Medusa. My heart sank as I grabbed Sophie's flailing hand and cast the spell to let the others out of the tower.

'I'm sorry,' I thought to the sane part of Sophie, who was still in there, 'I didn't want this to happen.'

'Too late,' came the heated reply.

'It's too late.'


	4. Chapter 4

Scarlet~

"You wanted me?" I said, standing in front of Lord Death in the Death Room.

"Yes," he sighed disappointedly, "did you know that Sophie asked to be reassigned to Molly as her partner?"

I gulped. "N-no. I didn't."

Lord Death turned away from his mirror to look at me, the dark eyes of his mask expressionless.

"Doesn't the loyalty and trust of a friend mean anything to you?" He asked.

"It means everything to me!" I protested.

"Then why did you do it?" We both knew what "it" was, so Death didn't need to explain.

"I had a battle to fight. If I hadn't done it, the kishin would have destroyed Death City, the DWMA, and everything we need to fight him."

Lord Death gave a disappointed sigh. "Was it really worth it?" He asked. I sighed and looked down at the ground.

"I just don't know anymore."

"Alright," Death sighed, "I'm assuming that you don't need a meister to fight?"

"Yes," I confirmed.

"Then you will be the messenger of the Death Scythes, until we can find you another meister, now go and get the others. We need them here now."

I nodded and started to walk out of the Death Room.

"Oh, and Scarlet?" Death called. I turned around.

"Yes?"

"I really think that you should settle things with Sophie. You two need each other right now. You're the most powerful force we have."

"I-I'll try," I said, and went on my mission to get the rest of the Death Scythes.

Sophie~

"Ugh!" I screamed, throwing Molly across the room, "I'll never get it right!"

Molly turned back into her human form and started rubbing her arm. "Ow! That hurt!"

"Sorry," I said sheepishly, "I've never fought with a kusarigama before."

"What do you do with Scarlet when you need to learn a new weapon?"

I cringed when Molly said my old weapon partner's name.

"She usually guides me through it with her soul wavelengths and stuff," I explained.

"Our soul wavelengths aren't perfectly matched, Sophie. I can't do all the stuff Scarlet does with you."

"Did," I corrected.

Molly rolled her eyes. "Did," she sighed. "I really think that you should go back to being her meister."

"Never!" I gasped, "not after what she did to me!"

"Look, I do think that what Scarlet did was unforgivable, but she really thought that she was doing it for the best. She didn't want to do it."

"She lied to me and betrayed me. I'll never forgive her." I turned around and changed the subject. "Let's work on that disarming technique again," I said. Molly sighed and turned back into her weapon form.

It wasn't like Scarlet at all, but it would have to do. I could never forgive her for what she did.

Ever.

Crona~

"I still can't get that disarming technique," Maka said.

"And I'm pretty sure getting me thrown out of your hand fifty times by Stein isn't helping," Soul replied, "I'm still sore."

"Sorry," Maka said sheepishly, "maybe I can talk to Scarlet and So- oh," she said when Soul started looking at her weirdly, "yeah. Right."

"What?" I asked, "what is it?"

Maka suddenly noticed Scarlet, who was walking alone. She motioned towards her and, by the look on her face, I could tell this was going to be a very uncomfortable conversation.

"Scarlet forced Sophie to go insane," she explained.

"Why?"

"She says that it was for the good of Death City, but I don't know." Everybody glanced over at Scarlet, and, judging by the tears on her face, she could hear what we were saying. I didn't like this at all.

"I knew she was no good," Black*Star said, "once a witch, always a witch."

"What do you mean? How is she a witch?" I was getting more confused by the second.

"Didn't you know?" Death the Kid looked at me weirdly, "Scarlet is Medusa's daughter."

"She has a witch soul," Liz agreed. Everybody else nodded in mutual agreement.

Realization flooded into me and my mind swelled with fear, anger, and rage. I wasn't sure what to do. Should I just agree with them and be on my way, or defend my sister?

"You guys are jerks!" I shouted. They all gawked at me, and I was a little surprised myself, but I kept going, "can't you see her? She's heartbroken!" I felt my whole body shake and I tried to control it, but failed miserably.

"Jeez Crona, calm down," Ragnarok said, but I didn't.

"She's trying, she really is, but you keep pushing her away. Even you Maka." The realization that I just stepped out of my boundaries and reached a whole new level of uncomfort that I had a hard time dealing with hit me and I toned down my reaction.

"But, you saw what Medusa did," Maka seemed a little emotional about my actions. "Don't you understand? Scarlet's-"

"I know what she is," I mumbled. "My sister."

"Uh oh," Ragnarok said, "the secret's out now."

"Crona, I-I'm sorry. I didn't know-"

I held up my hand to stop her, "whatever. Just-don't talk to me." I stomped off.

"Someone's being dramatic."

"Shut up, Ragnarok."

"If I could hit you right now, Crona, I would."

I ignored Ragnarok and ran to catch up to Scarlet.

"What do you want?" She asked tartly when I finally caught up to her.

"I just want to walk with you," I said, innocently.

"I don't want your company," she growled.

I backed off a little bit, then said, "please. Hear me out."

Scarlet stopped, and spun around. "What?" She hissed.

"I'm really sorry for injecting your partner with black blood. It's all my fault that this is happening."

Scarlet sighed and turned around. "It's not your fault, it's mine." She continue walking and I followed her. "You took responsibility for your own actions while I am saying mine were for 'the good of Death City,'" she observed, "you are definitely braver than I am. I am nothing but a coward, hiding behind lies."

"You're not a coward!" I protested. Scarlet and I stopped at the same time. I don't know if it was soul wavelengths or what, but she seemed to know exactly what I was going to do, when I was going to do it. The thought scared me a little.

Maybe this is always how it is with Scarlet and Sophie.

"In some ways, I am not," Scarlet said, "but in reality, I am the worst kind of coward." She shivered. "Do you feel like we're being...watched?"

I actually was feeling like that. The world seemed...darker right now. As if there were more shadows.

As soon as it came, the feeling was gone.

"Maybe it was just my imagination," Scarlet said. She continued walking and I walked beside her.

"Can I come with you? Please?" I asked. Scarlet sighed.

"I guess so." She looked back at me. "We're going to Dr. Stein's house, if that's okay with you."

I stopped. "Oh no. He scares me!"

Scarlet kept on walking, "well, you can stay here than."

"Come on Crona, don't be a scaredy-cat," Ragnarok taunted. I shook my head to clear it and ran to catch up.

Scarlet~

"Hey, um, Stein?"

Stein, who was typing away at his computer, turned to me. His face was almost expressionless as he said, "can I help you?"

"Yes, actually. Um…" God, how was I supposed to talked to him when he couldn't even express emotion towards me?

But, still. I had to try.

"It's about Sophie."

Stein's internal struggle was so great, I could practically visualize it in his eyes. Either he would sit down and have a talk with his daughter, or just be the sadistic mastermind he is.

Knowing Stein, he could combine both.

"Come here."

I took a few steps towards him, but Crona kept her distance.

"You want to be her partner again?"

I nodded. "I made a mistake and I want to fix it."

"And how are you going to fix it?"

I gritted my teeth in frustration. "If she would actually listen to me that would be nice."

Stein turned back to his computer and started to type again. "Then figure out a way to make her listen."

"Really? Haven't thought of that one." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm just full of ideas," Stein replied sarcastically.

"Can you give me any good ideas? Or at least some advice?"

Stein was silent for a few second, with the only sound being the click of the computer keys.

"Do you question what you did that day?" He asked.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I?"

Stein stopped typing and turned to look at me. "I don't think you did anything wrong. If you hadn't done what you did, countless people would've died."

I looked him in the eyes. They were calm, not energized with insanity.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He gave me an unsure smile, which was enough for me. He stood up from his chair and started to leave the room when I hugged him from behind. He became stiff as a board, but gradually relaxed. I let go of him and he continued on his way out.

"Where's Molly?" I asked, following him out the door. Crona followed nervously behind me.

"Do you really want to know?"

"She's out training with Sophie, isn't she?"

Stein nodded once and continued to search for the supplies he needed for his latest dissection. Or, at least, that's what I assumed he was doing. "If Marie would stop movie my damn stuff around," he mumbled.

"And their soul wavelengths repel each other, so they're just gonna end up hating each other?"

"Pretty much."

I sighed and put my head in my hands. "What do I do know?"

"Make things up with Sophie? Molly can't take this kind of stress, and when she's stressed out, she's a horrible experiment."

I laughed and said, "but I don't know how to make things up with Sophie."

"Make her listen."

"I already made her go insane. Isn't that enough?"

Molly~

'Stop! You're doing it ALL WRONG!'

"Well, how am is supposed to do it?!"

'I would at least think you were smarter than using THAT technique!'

"Well, I usually fight with a scythe!"

I sighed frustratedly, 'try it again, and this time, use the RIGHT technique.'

"You are impossible, you know that?"

'It's not my fault that you can't get a simple technique right.'

Sophie and I were fighting for about the twentieth time that day. I could feel our friendship weakening, I just didn't know how to stop it.

Sophie threw me across the room for the seventh time that day, and I turned back into my human form.

"Thanks for that!"

"You deserved it!"

"Says the girl whose only skill is throwing me across the room!"

"I hate you so much right now!" Sophie screamed.

I sat down on the floor. "Sophie," I whispered, "I can't be your weapon any more."

In that moment, the hate fizzled away into nothing.

"I know," Sophie sighed. She sat next to me.

"Otherwise, we'll just keep hating each other."

"I know." Sophie sighed again and stood up. "I guess I just wanted to be a great meister without Scarlet."

I stood up. "Sophie, Scarlet is your weapon. I don't freaking care if you don't feel like you can trust her. You need to either make up with her, or put up with her. Death City needs you."

As soon as the energy started fizzling again, I knew that I had said the wrong thing.

"So, Death City NEEDS us, does it?" Sophie started radiating black energy. "Just like it NEEDED Scarlet to cast her spell? Just like it NEEDED Scarlet to keep me trapped like a prisoner? Just like it NEEDED me to go insane?!"

By this time, I was done with the 'boohoo poor me' attitude. "Sophie! Just freaking make up with Scarlet already, okay?!"

Sophie took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.

"Okay. I won't make up with Scarlet, but I'll put up with her." She gave me a fake smile. "It's for the good of Death City, right?"

Crona~

"Hey, thanks for coming with me today," Scarlet said. She smiled at me.

"Oh, you're welcome," I replied. Scarlet had to go on a Death Scythe mission that is so secretive, I can't even write about it in this story. Not even the other Death Scythes knew what it was. Anyway, Scarlet needed a meister and, with many complaints from Ragnarok, I agreed to help.

"Hey guys," I heard a voice say, grimly. I turned around and saw Sophie coming towards us.

"Oh," Scarlet said, "it's you." She didn't say it cruelly, like she was holding a grudge. She said it sorrowfully, like she knew that she was the one who did something wrong.

"Yeah, it's me." Sophie also seemed sorrowful. Not like her at all. "We need to become meister and weapon again."

Scarlet's face lit up, "you're forgiving me?"

Sophie shook her head. "No," she said, "but Death City needs us together. I may never forgive you, but I won't let other people die because of this." She paused. "Do you agree?"

Scarlet hesitated before saying, "yes."

Then the overwhelming feeling of being watch came again. Sophie, Scarlet and I stopped, which was a big mistake.

Because the shadows started chasing us.

Why does this always happen to me?

Scarlet~

"The shadows!" I shouted, "Run!"

Crona, Sophie and I started running away from the darkness that threatened to swallow us whole.

"Ragnarok!" Crona screamed. Ragnarok turned into the Demon Sword.

"No! You can't fight shadows!" Sophie screamed back.

All we could do was run. Then shadows appeared in front of us. We ran down a small alley, that was a dead end.

"What do we do know, genius?" Ragnarok said. I didn't know what else to do, but...

"Vector Plate!" A giant black arrow pointing away from us appeared on the ground, and the shadows were thrown back.

I guess Vector Plates do work on shadows. I just don't get that logic.

"What do we do now?" Crona hid in the corner, "I just don't know how to deal with this."

"Sophie. Soul Renaissance with me," I said, "I can't hold this for much longer!" It was last resort, but we had to do it.

"But-"

"Just do it! There are lives at stake!"

I felt a little shock as Sophie's soul resonated with mine. She grabbed Crona by the hand and jumped to the top of the roof of a building.

"Jump, Scarlet!" She called, but I didn't. The shadows were looking for someone, and they wouldn't leave without them.

I desperately hoped that someone was me.

Sophie~

"Scarlet, jump!"

She still didn't jump.

"Scarlet, come on! Please jump!"

Nothing.

"No, Sophie," Scarlet said, "if I jump, they won't leave."

"No! Scarlet, don't you dare!"

"Goodbye, Sophie. I'm sorry that we couldn't make up, but I'm mostly sorry that I had to do that to you."

"Scarlet, no!" I sobbed, "please! I forgive you! Please don't do it."

"I'm going to let go."

"No!" I tried to jump, but Crona grabbed onto the back of my shirt. "Let me go, you...you-"

"If she had wanted you to go with her, she wouldn't have given you a piece of her soul."

"Wait-what?" I didnt have time to deal with nonsensical comments like that. "Scarlet, stop!" But it was too late. She let go and the darkness surrounded her.

'I'm sorry,' I heard her voice whisper in my ear.

"No!" I sat down and let the tears roll down my face.

My partner, and best friend, was gone


	5. Chapter 5

Lord Death~

I am ashamed to admit that the scene I saw before me was not expected. I never expected Scarlet to give up her life for her meister and brother, but I was even more surprised to see the fact that Scarlet did not leave us unprotected.

"Why did she do that?"

I turned towards my son, who was looking in the mirror with me.

"She was protecting the thing that means the most to her."

"She left us without the protection we need."

"No she didn't. She left Sophie with a piece of her soul."

Kid frowned, "I saw that, I just don't know what good that will do."

I turned back towards the mirror. "The piece of soul that Scarlet gave to Sophie can be summoned and used as a weapon in Scarlet's place. It is strong, but considerably weaker than Scarlet, and it can only change into one weapon."

"But, that piece of soul has basically screwed her. Scarlet is weakend. Even if she did survive, she is as good as dead now. Once the Shadow Witch gets to her, that is."

I sighed. "Yes. That is true."

"We could always have Sophie train another weapon," Death the Kid suggested. I shook my head.

"Sophie's soul wavelengths don't match well with anyone's but Scarlet's."

"Then what do we do?"

"I will search around some more, but otherwise, I don't know what else we can do."

Sophie~

"Leave me alone!" I screamed. Tears streamed down my face and landed on the pillow I was clutching to my chest. Molly stood next to my bed. I lay back down again and faced the wall.

"Sophie. I know what happened-we all do-but you need to get out of your room," Molly said, "the others are out playing basketball, lets go join them!"

"No. I'm never leaving."

"Come on, Sophie! You've been in here for days!"

"I already told you. I'm not leaving."

"Come on!"

I sat up and threw my pillow at Molly. It bounced off of her face and landed in my hands.

"I'm not leaving!" I growled. I slammed the pillow back onto the bed, laid on it, and faced the wall again.

"Sophie, if you stay in here for much longer, mushrooms are going to grow out of your head." Molly started inching towards the door.

"I don't care."

"You haven't seen daylight in days." Closer.

"I don't care."

"You're probably going to die in here." Molly put her hand on the handle of the door.

"I don't freaking care!" I threw the pillow, once again, at Molly's face. "Just leave already!"

"Okay," Molly sighed, "whatever."

She opened the door and shut it carefully behind her. I let the tears roll down my face again.

This sucks.

Molly~

"No luck?" Soul asked. I shook my head.

"She refuses to even get out of bed."

"I just feel so guilty," Maka said, "after all that we've done to Scarlet...and then she sacrifices herself." Tears started sliding down Maka's face.

"Maka, don't cry. One distressed friend is enough for me to deal with for now," I said, "and, besides, Scarlet knew what she was doing."

"Hey, there's Kid, Patty, and Liz!" Black*Star called, drawing the attention back to himself.

Kid walked purposefully up to me, Patty and Liz on either side of him, and said, "I was just speaking to my father. He needs to talk to you and Sophie."

"He's just going to have to settle with talking to me, then," I sighed, "Sophie refuses to come out of her room."

Kid smiled. "Oh, I think she'll come out of her room," he said, "once she hears what my father has to say."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Well..." He whispered into my ear what it was.

He was right.

This would make Sophie come out of her room.

Sophie~

"What?"

I stood in front of Lord Death. Molly told me that he had news for me that concerned Scarlet. I expected nothing execpt confirmation that she was dead.

"You mean...she's still alive?"

Lord Death nodded at me. "There is a very small chance that she is still alive. We want you to bring her back, or, at the very worst, her body. You can start training with Professor Stein tonight. You will leave first thing in the morning, as soon as the sun rises because the Shadow Witch is more powerful in the dark."

"But, I don't have a weapon."

"You do know that Scarlet gave you a piece of her soul, right?" He asked, I nodded.

"Crona told me, but I didn't think it mattered."

"The piece of soul Scarlet gave you can be used as your weapon."

"Really?"

Death nodded. "Try summoning it now."

I concentrated really hard on Scarlet's soul. Then, a scythe materialized in my hand. Molly and I stared at it in amazement. I just felt so...powerful. More powerful that I have ever felt without Scarlet with me.

"Woah," Molly said.

"Hurry, you don't have much time. Meet Dr. Stein at his laboratory, he'll train you there," Lord Death said. I nodded and rushed to Steins laboratory.

Scarlet isn't dead!

Scarlet~

"Uh..." I moaned. My whole body hurt. Everything was dark and I felt like I was...suspended...in thin air.

If this is what it feels like to be dead, I want a refund.

How long was I like that? Hours? Days? Weeks?

Years?

Time doesn't exist anymore. I was in a void absent of light and life itself. I was the only thing that existed.

It was...comforting...in a way.

Soon, or maybe it was a long time? I really don't know.

Anyway, the void was broken open and I was rushed through the confusing hallways of none other than the Shadow Witch's hideout. Her shadows were rushing me along. I barely had time to take a step before another shadow was pushing me from behind.

I stumbled down the darkened, shadow-filled hallways until I made it to a large chamber. The room was very dark. The walls and floor were completely black and the ceiling was enchanted to look like the night sky with only a sliver of a moon and clouded stars.

The door was shut behind me, leaving me and the Shadow Witch alone together. I turned my hand into a knife blade.

"It's no use," a voice said, sounding bored, "you can't fight shadows."

"You're not a shadow," I hissed, "you're a witch."

"I'm not?" I heard crisp laughter fill the room and then a dark light flashed across my face, blocking out my vision for a split second.

I turned my head to where the light went and felt a tap on my back. I spun around and stabbed the...air. I heard the same crisp laughter coming from behind me.

"I'm not turning around until you stay in one place and face me instead of running away like a coward," my voice boomed across the large room.

Silence.

"Okay," she finally said, breaking the silence. A torch lit in each corner of the room, illuminating the room with a soft, eerie, orange glow, "but you're not gonna like what you see."

A bunch of different scenarios crossed my mind, usually including a mutilated face. I took a deep breath and spun around, ready to face the horrors I was going to see.

I gasped.

I was face to face with...

myself.

Kage~

Of course the girl looked like me. I made her that way. She was born in my hideout anyway. What right did Medusa have to do that?

Anyway, there are a few things you should know about me before I go on.

I am thirteen years old. I have been for three hundred years. Now that the girl is my age, I will keep growing older with her, and one day I will die with her.

I am also the one who made her a weapon, because otherwise her witch side would have taken over long ago.

Just so you know, Dr. Franken Stein came after me first. I did nothing except be a witch. I had nothing to do with the DWMA, nor did I want anything to do with it, until Dr. Stein came here and tried to kill me. He had no reason to do that except for the fact that I am a witch. I am supposedly "evil" or whatever.

It makes me really angry.

So now you know about the segregation with witches. Most of us aren't even evil, people are just scared of us because of our powers.

But, in the meister's and weapon's defense, most of the witches attack first, so that can lead to the aspect that we're evil, but I was doing, literally, NOTHING.

Now, maybe it will stop.

The strongest Death Scythe in the world is a witch, so maybe.

Just maybe.

It will all stop.

Scarlet~

"What...is this?" I turned the knife back into my hand and rubbed my eyes. She was still there.

"I'm real," she said, in my voice.

I shook my head. "How can you be real? You look exactly like me. I must be going insane." I almost said "like Sophie", but then I probably would have broken into tears

"You're not going insane."

"Prove it."

She reached out her hand and grabbed my own. I flinched.

"Can you feel that?"

"Yes." As much as I hated to admit it, I could feel her grabbing my hand.

"Then you know that I am real."

"How do I know that I'm not dreaming?"

She reached up and slapped me in the face. I reached my hand up to the spot where she slapped me.

"Did you wake up?"

"No. Was that really necessary?"

"Yes." She smirked. "Do you still believe that you're insane?"

"I guess not." I shook my head again. "This is just all so...so..."

"Weird? Strange? Unusual?"

"All three."

We fell silent and I started searching her soul. She had a dark soul, full of shadows and regrets.

"You weren't looking for me, were you?" I asked.

"No," she admitted, "I was, in fact, looking for your meister, Sophie."

My whole body tensed when I heard my partner's name. "Why Sophie?"

"Because, I thought that if I managed to kill her, you would be forced to become my weapon instead."

My arm turned into a scythe blade. "If you killed my meister, why would I want to become your weapon?" I growled, "and, besides, you're a witch."

"So are you," she pointed out, not the least bit taken aback by my change. "And you wouldn't be able to find another meister. No one else can match soul wavelengths with you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You saw Sophie struggle with Molly; it didn't work." She stated.

"So what are you going to do now?" I questioned.

"I don't know," she answered, "although the thought of keeping you hostage here as bait has crossed my mind."

"Not gonna work," I sneered, "they think that I'm dead."

"They're smarter than that. Sooner or later, they're going to figure out that you're alive, and weaponless Sophie will insist on coming for you." She smiled.

She was right, it was the perfect plan. Sophie would, of course, insist on coming here looking for me. Since her soul wavelengths don't work well with anyone else, she would be weaponless and vulnerable. She would be dead within an hour of coming here.

Except...

"You overlooked a piece of information," I said. Now it was my turn to smile.

"What are you talking about?" The smile on her face disappeared.

"Sophie isn't weaponless."

"I already told you..."

"You didn't let me finish." I held up the hand that wasn't a blade to silence her, "Sophie isn't weaponless because I gave her a piece of my soul."


	6. Chapter 6

Sophie~

"I always knew you would never be much use as a meister," Dr. Stein sneered.

"Then why are you losing?" I sneered back. Dr. Stein and I were head to head, or should I say scythe to scythe?

Dr. Stein pressed Spirit harder against my scythe. My arms wavered, but I stayed strong.

"Why do you think Scarlet left you?"

I pulled back and swiped at him, missing. My mind swelled with rage and anger. Dr. Stein saw that he had hit a nerve, and kept hitting it harder.

"Scarlet never wanted to be your weapon!"

"Liar!" I slashed at him again, and missed. 'Cool it Sophie,' I thought, 'he's trying to make you angry.'

"Why would I lie to you?" Dr. Stein swung at my arm. I felt a stinging pain and looked down to see blood flowing down my arm. I watched it drop down to the floor.

Every so often, the drop would be black.

"You said it was gone," I said, calmly.

"I never said that." Stein used this opportunity to push me to the ground with the blunt end of Spirit. "It's impossible to remove the black blood completely from your body. And it appears that I have won."

I just lay on the ground with my eyes closed, hardly daring to breathe.

'Wait until you hear him walk away...'

"You're never going to win against the Shadow Witch. I knew it was no use." I heard Stein start to walk away. My eyes snapped open and I jumped up silently.

"What the-" Dr. Stein exclaimed as I flipped Spirit out of his hand, caught him in my own, and wrapped both of the scythe's blades around him like a claw.

"Don't turn away from your enemy you dumbass!"

Stein turned towards me, a smile on his face, and used his soul force on me-which did absolutely nothing.

"How-"

"You've taught me too well," I grinned, "I just matched my soul wavelengths with yours, neutralizing your attack."

Stein shook his head. "Alright," he said, "you won."

I cautiously pulled the scythes away. Spirit turned back into his human form and I absorbed the scythe back into my hand.

"Jeez, Stein," Spirit mocked, "I've never seen you get beaten by a young meister before. You must be getting worse."

"Shut up, Spirit." Dr. Stein turned towards his former weapon with a deranged smile on his face. "Oh, and you might want to note that I switch the fingers from your left hand with the fingers on your right hand."

"What?!" Spirit held both hands up to his face. "Why would you do that?! Why-"

"Made you look."

Spirit turned towards Stein, his rage and anger showing on his face. "You insane creep!"

"Thank you."

"However amusing this is to watch," I said, trying to stop myself from laughing, "time is running out, and I need to get to the Shadow Witch's hideout before sunset."

The pair looked at me, as if they forgot I was there, then Dr. Stein said, "you're right, you'd better get going, and just in case I don't see you again-which I probably won't-goodbye."

Scarlet~

I could see the fear flash across the witch's face for a split second, only to be replaced with no emotion at all.

"My shadows can take care of her," she said, dismissively.

"Not if I take care of you first!" I growled. I slashed her with my arm that was a scythe blade. Nothing happened; it just went right through her.

She laughed. "I told you. You can't fight shadows."

"But...you're not..." My words trailed away as I just gaped at her.

"You see, I am the Shadow witch. I have been with the shadows for so long that I can just...become them."

I stuck my scythe blade through her body. "But there is a flaw to your plan," I said, "you can't stay like this forever. Otherwise you will...cease to exist. All I have to do is wait until you have to change back."

"How-how did you know?" Now it was the Witch's turn to gape at me.

I smiled. "I can sense more than just soul wavelengths. Your soul is weakening as we speak."

She shook her head, "of course. You still have Stein's blood, despite the fact that I made you a weapon, but I have something to say too." Now it was her turn to smile. "By giving Sophie a piece of your soul, you have severely weakened yourself, making it almost impossible for you stay in your weapon form for too long. All I have to do is wait."

"But who will give out first? Me or you?"

For five minutes, we stood there in silence.

"I can wait for as long as you can," the witch said.

"Why don't you just move?" I asked.

"I think you know the answer to that."

She was right. By keeping my weapon inside her body, I was stopping her from moving anywhere. If she did move, she wouldn't exist anymore.

Five more minutes.

"Why don't you just call your shadows here?" I asked. "I bet you can do that without moving."

"I can, but that would be cowardly."

"And it wasn't cowardly to let them take care of Stein?"

"Stein did a cowardly thing by coming here. I did nothing to him or the DWMA. I am merely a witch. That is all."

Five more minutes of silence.

"What's your name?" I asked. The question seemed to take her by surprise.

"It has been two hundred years since anyone has ever asked my name," she replied, "but I recall that it was Kage."

Five more minutes.

"It's been twenty minutes. Would you like to negotiate, or will we just stay here until one of us falls down dead?" I asked.

"I can negotiate," Kage replied.

"How about this?" I asked. Kage looked me seriously in the eye. I could tell that her eye had a dull glint, as if she already felt exhausted trying to keep herself in existence. "You let me go. I'll take the blade out of your body. We can forget that this ever happened."

Kage shook her head. "No, because you won't forget. Sooner or later, people are going to find out and then there will be thousands of Meisters and weapons looking for me."

"Then what?"

"Then we'll rip her to shreds," I heard someone say behind me. I jumped, pulled my arm out of Kage, and spun around to see Sophie.

"Sophie!" I grabbed onto the scythe she held in her hand and let myself absorb into it. Instantly, I felt the power flowing into me. My soul was finally whole again.

Sophie~

"How did you get past my shadows?" The witch asked, her eyes wide.

"It was easy once I figured out that shadows can only sense souls. Then Scarlet's soul piece gave me the soul protect I needed."

The witch let out a small, unintelligible sound.

'Shadow speak,' Scarlet gasped, 'she's calling her shadows. We have no chance.'

"Glad to see you're being optimistic." I jumped into a fighting stance, Scarlet at the ready. Then the shadows came.

"It's okay," I said, trying to reassure myself more than Scarlet, "as long as we have the soul protect on, we're okay."

'Shadows, three o'clock!' I spun around to see tons of shadows reaching for me, clawing at me...

"Get back you...pieces of air!" I swung at the shadows, cutting them in half. Then they grew back. I started running towards a corner of the room we were in.

'Pieces of air? Really?'

"I was trying to save our necks! I couldn't really come up with a good insult!"

'It doesn't matter anyway. Behind you!'

I swung around and slashed at the shadows again. I ran away before they could grow back.

"How can they see us? The soul protect is on!"

'They can't see us, but SHE can.'

I looked at the witch, her eyes were sharp with anger and rage.

"What do we do now?" The shadows crept slowly closer, as if they knew that they had all the time in the world to finish us off.

'These guys chased Stein and Spirit away easily,' Scarlet thought aloud, 'but I think they may have overlooked an import detail.'

"And what's that?"

Closer.

'When we went to the DWMA, what was one of the first techniques we learned?'

"Go for the meister first."

Closer still.

'So imagine that the Shadow Witch is the meister, and the shadows are the weapon.'

"Go for the meister..." I mumbled under my breath. I tensed my body, ready to get past these shadows...somehow.

The shadows were now about five feet away from us. I jammed Scarlet's blade into the ground and used it to pole-vault into the air, over the shadows.

"What are you doing!?" I don't think the witch expected us to get out of that.

"What do you think we're doing?" I ran towards her, dodging shadows this way and that. A few of them clawed at my clothes, but I kept running.

Finally, I reached her. It only took one swipe of my scythe, and she was down. The shadows disappeared.

'Ah!' I heard a small scream from Scarlet.

"Scarlet, what's wrong?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she turned back into her human form, and collapsed onto the ground, a huge gash in her stomach.

Exactly like the wound I gave the shadow witch.

"Scarlet? Scarlet, what happened?"

"Whatever happens to her...happens to me..." Her words were slurred with pain.

"You mean, I did this to you?" I was filled with horror.

"No, she did did this." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them again. They were clouded with pain. "It's okay, Sophie. We both knew that I was going to die on this mission anyway."

"No! I am not losing you again!" I placed my hand on her wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.

"It's no use. To heal me, you have to heal her as well. There's no way you can drag us both back to the DWMA. You're better off just leaving us here."

I hung my head. "Then kill me too," I said, desperately trying to fight back tears.

"What?"

"You heard me!" I gave up my effort to stop myself from crying and let the tears fall down my face. "Use whatever strength you have left to turn that arm into a scythe and kill me!"

"No!"

I grabbed Scarlet's arm and squeezed it, but she just pulled it away.

"Goddammit, Scarlet!" I just sat there and let myself cry over my best friends dying body. Suddenly, I heard heavy footsteps behind me, but I didn't care enough to look. If it was a friend coming to help me, good. If it was an enemy set on killing me, all the better. I just didn't care anymore.

I felt a reassuring hand grab my shoulder. I looked up to see the stitched-up face of Dr. Stein.

"Looks like you need a little help there."

Scarlet~

"Just kill me Scarlet."

"What?" The pain was unbearable. The blood...everywhere.

"Just kill me Scarlet."

"Sophie! No!"

Sophie held up a gun to her head and smiled at me.

"Just kill me Scarlet."

"Sophie!"

She pulled the trigger.

"No!" I sat up, my breath heavy and my face crusted with tears from my latest nightmare.

"Scarlet?" I turned and spotted Sophie. I jumped a little bit. "It's okay Scarlet. It's just me."

"Thank God it is. You startled me!" I layed back down on my pillow.

"How is your wound?"

"A little sore, but nothing more than a scar now."

"What was your nightmare about?" Sophie's question caught me totally off guard.

"Nothing." I turned towards the wall. "You should be getting some sleep. It's one o'clock in the morning."

"You can tell me anything, you know." Sophie sighed and started towards the door.

"I just have a question."

Sophie turned around. "What?" She asked.

"Is there any news about Kage?"

"Nope. They're still holding her prisoner." Sophie turned back towards the door and walked out of my room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

'Dr. Stein came and helped me carry you and the Shadow Witch back to the DWMA,' Sophie had said.

I smiled. Of course Dr. Stein had come.

'She's currently being held prisoner. They don't know what to do with her since, well, you know...'

That thought made the smile on my face disappear.

Yeah, I did know, and I wasn't happy about it.

Stupid witch.

'She won't say anything about why she had done it. She won't talk at all.'

Okay, that part was a little bit strange. But, hey, who am I to judge that? It's not like I'm the daughter of a mad scientist and a witch who hate each other's guts and the look-a-like of a three-hundred-year-old witch.

Oh wait. I am.

'It doesn't add up.'

I sighed in frustration and turned to stare at the ceiling.

"I don't get it!" I yelled aloud. The words echoed loudly around the more-silent-than-death room.

I never wanted to be dropped into this situation. I never wanted this to happen to me. IT JUST HAPPENED! And the least this world could do for me is make it make sense.

But it DOESN'T make sense.

'Cool it, Scarlet,' I thought, 'there's no use getting obsessed over it.' I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I closed my eyes and tried to force myself to drift to sleep.

Why can't my life make sense?

Molly~

"I don't get it."

Sophie sighed. "Let me explain it to you again."

"No, I mean, I really don't get it," I shook my head, "I heard what you said, but, it doesn't add up. I don't get it," I said again.

"None of us do." Scarlet's whisper was almost unintelligible.

Scarlet and Sophie had insisted on meeting me at Dr. Stein's laboratory as soon as Scarlet was completely healed to explain to me what happened.

I didn't really get it.

"So, let me get this straight." I started pacing across my bedroom. "Scarlet is the exact look-a-like of the Shadow Witch. Not only that, but whatever happens to her happens to Scarlet and vice-versa? I mean, it was weird enough when we found out that Scarlet was the daughter of Dr. Stein and Medusa, but this is just...strange."

"Nobody said that it would make sense," Sophie sighed.

"No, but somebody should've," Scarlet mumbled under her breath. I actually think she was more pissed off about the whole thing than completely weirded out like I was.

"We can't focus on that anyway." Sophie gave Scarlet a hard look.

Scarlet sighed. "You're right," she said, "we have to figure out what to do with the kishin."

Kage~

How was I supposed to know that whatever happens to Scarlet also happens to me?

'Get it through your head you dumbass,' I mentally scolded myself.

I refused to talk. They couldn't make me. Not if they wanted their precious Death Scythe to stay alive.

It's been five days since I have last spoken.

Five days since that fight. My wounds are healed now, and Scarlet's are too.

I sat on my cot, staring at the dull concrete wall and hugging my knees up to my chest. Little did they know that pieces of my soul can turn into weapons too. It would be so easy to just materialize a knife. Then it would only take a flick of the wrist and...game, set, match.

I would be out of this cell.

Death City would lose its strongest line of defense.

Sophie would finally go insane far beyond the reaches of sanity, and join the kishin.

I would have won.

It was so tempting to just...

'No,' I stopped myself, 'soon.'

So I just sat there like I had for five days...

Waiting for the opportunity to present itself.


	7. Chapter 7

**_FINALLY ANOTHER CHAPTER AFTER SO LONG!_**

**_Sorry for the delay guysh, I had a bit of writers block. Enjoy!_**

Scarlett~

"Show them to me," Sophie demanded as we walked down the hallway.

"What?" I asked, halting.

"What do you mean 'what'?" Sophie grabbed my sleeve and pushed it upwards violently. "That's what!"

I pushed the sleeve back down, covering the shame and anger that burned within me in one swift motion.

"What about it?" I asked, my voice dropping in volume and pitch.

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"You never asked."

"That's not an excuse!" Sophie yelled, then her voice softened. "Scarlett, if you had just let me know we could have fixed it. If we caught it right away..."

"What if I don't _want_ you to fix it?" My voice was dripping with harsh anger. "What if I _like_ them?"

"But why would you? There just one step closer to making you...one of them."

I exploded. "Just say it, Sophie! Witch! I am a witch!"

"No you're not!"

"Yes I am! And you know what? I don't care anymore! I'm done with hiding myself!" I screamed, a lifetime worth of anger finally coming out. "I like it. And you know what? I want to learn how to use my powers."

"Is that what you two were talking about in there?" Sophie hissed.

"Talk? Ha! We didn't _talk_ at all! _I_ was the one doing the talking!"

"Do you even know what she wants with you?!"

"What do you mean?"

"You're the only one who has gotten any reaction out of her. Anyone else goes in there and she's a statue until they leave." Sophie spoke as if she were accusing me of some hideous crime.

Her statement threw me off balance a little bit, but it wasn't long before I regained my footing. "I may not entirely know what she wants with me," I spoke slowly and deliberately, my voice coming out as a low his. "But I know what she wants you. Dead."

"And why didn't you tell me this before!" Sophie burst into tears. "Scarlett, I'm your best friend! I'm your meister! Don't you trust me?"

I turned away, desperate not to let Sophie see me cry.

"Not anymore."

And to think that just a few days ago, we were perfectly fine...

**_Explanation? Psh! You get no explanation! Not until the next chapter anyway..._**


	8. Chapter 8

_One week ago..._

**Interrogation Day 1:**

Kage~

She walked into my room today. Alone.

She didn't make empty threats like Spirit did, she took her time. She didn't try to make me speak. "I just want to ask you a few questions," She said. "Will you talk?"

I shook my head.

"Can I ask you yes or no questions?"

I nodded.

Her shadow would speak to me. It would tell me everything I needed to know.

_Don't speak yet. She hasn't warmed up to you. She's afraid of you. Wait._

Finally, she thanked me, then left.

"This is stupid," I mumbled in the twisted language of the shadows.

_Be patient. She'll be ready in time._

"No she won't. She can't possibly understand what it's like when she's surrounded by people who adore her. Her life is too good. What is my purpose here anyway?"

_Her life is too good to be true. Don't off yourself yet, Shaniasha. She will open up in time._

Scarlet~

"Did she give you any response at all?"

"She simply nodded and shook her head when I asked her questions."

Lord Death was silent for a moment.

"Did she answer your questions correctly?"

"I'm not sure. Like I said, she wouldn't speak."

I waited again, this time for a longer period of time. Finally, he spoke again.

"That is the most response she has given to anyone. You will be sent down there again tomorrow."

I nodded, then turned to leave.

"Oh, and Scarlet," He called. I stopped.

"Yes?" My voice was shaky.

"Maybe you shouldn't wear such warm clothing on a day like this."

Was there a hint of accusation in his voice? Does he know?

"I think I might be getting sick or something," I mumbled. "I'm actually very cold." I pulled the sleeves of my sweatshirt down a little bit more.

"Then go home and rest up."

"I will."

* * *

I opened the door to Stein's house and stepped inside.

"I don't believe I invited you in," came a scolding voice.

"I don't believe I asked," I retorted.

"What do you want?" Stein came into view.

"I just want to know how your relationship with Marie is coming along. You two are dating, aren't you?"

I ducked and a bolt of electricity just barely missed my face. It left a large burn mark on the door, though.

"Damn. I guess I owe Molly five dollars, then."

"You guys were betting on me?"

"Well, I guess I really shouldn't have, considering the fact that Molly IS your apprentice…"

Stein shook his head, amusement showing in his eyes. "What do you really want?"

I sighed. "I need help."

"With what?"

I pushed up my sleeves to reveal the markings on my arms. "This."

"Tattoos?" Stein lifted my right arm and studied the red tattoo that swirled around my forearm.

"They just started appearing there this morning."

"Powers too?"

"Yes."

"How so?"

"Well, for starters my bedding froze to the left side of my body and the milk in my cereal started to boil."

Stein laughed. "Nice."

"Not really," I grumbled. "They're hard to control."

"You just need to learn how to use them," He said, rubbing his thumb over the marking, quickly pulling it away when it started to glow and his flesh started sizzling. I pulled that arm away and he lifted up my left one, resting his thumb on the blue tattoo that was similar in shape to the red one. It started to glow and I heard a hissing noise that sounded like a fire being put out by water.

"That's not what I came here for."

"Ah, I see. You want me to get rid of them." He concluded, looking up from my arm and into my eyes.

I hesitated. "Yes," I choked out.

"I won't do it."

"Why not?"

"For one thing, to remove them I would have to completely obliterate the witch side of your soul. I'm not willing to do that. For another, they're a part of you. You shouldn't be ashamed of that."

I shook my head. "If people see them, I'll never be allowed at the DWMA again!"

Stein chuckled. "Now you're just being negative." He let go of my arm, lifted his hand up to his screw, and turned it three times slowly. "Tell you what," he said, looking down at me with thoughtful eyes. "Come here every day after school and I'll train you to use your powers to the best of my abilities."

I thought about it for a few seconds, then shook my head. "If Sophie finds out, she'll be pissed."

Stein was silent for a moment longer before saying, "I'll say that she needs special lessons from me to develope her soul more. Then I'll try to get her and Molly to practice Soul Resonance. Between teaching them, I can help you."

"Are you allowed to do that?"

Stein smiled creepily at me. "Probably not. So, do you want to do it or not?"

I hesitated. Did I really want to take a risk like that?

Yes. I did.

I thanked my father, then left, more on edge than usual on my walk home. Something didn't seem right about this. Something was bound to go wrong.


End file.
